This invention relates to dispensing apparatus for an automatic bank teller or vending machines where the machine is to be used by a person within a vehicle. In particular, the apparatus is an attachment to or forms part of an automatic bank teller such as those commonly provided by banks to enable their customers to withdraw money from their accounts. Although the invention is described in this specification as being particularly relevant to automatic bank tellers, it should be realised that the invention is applicable to other types of dispensing machines.
A person attempting to operate an automatic bank teller from within a stationary road vehicle can and often does experience considerable difficulty in reaching the controls of the machine, i.e. the keyboard, which is used to input data from the user and a security card as well as reaching the money output point on the machine. The difficulty is caused by the automatic bank teller being located in a fixed position in relation to a vehicle. This means that there may be a considerable horizontal distance between the side of the vehicle parked adjacent the machine and the controls of the machine. In addition, different vehicles have a different window height from the ground such that a parked vehicle or driver of a low vehicle will have to reach up whereas the driver of a high vehicle will have to stretch downwards. This results in the driver being discouraged from using existing "drive up" automatic bank tellers. Analogous problems are experienced when machines of other types are used as "drive up" machines. It is an object of the present invention to attempt to provide a dispensing apparatus which can be fitted to existing machines of the type previously described which enables the machine to be more readily used by a person in a stationary road vehicle.
The present invention attempts to provide a dispensing apparatus which provides a service between a machine such as an automatic bank teller and a person in a vehicle at a remote point to the position of the automatic bank teller and this varies according to the type of vehicle being used.